Secret Service Careers in New Hampshire

The work of the United States Secret Service is widespread, even in the small, New England state of New Hampshire. The New Hampshire field office of Manchester (603-626-5631) includes agents who work on both the protective and investigative missions of the agency throughout the state, including the larger metropolitan areas of Concord, Nashua, Portsmouth, and Rochester/Dover.

Secret Service Career Requirements

Individuals who want to learn how to become a Secret Service agent in New Hampshire and qualify at the GL-7 level must meet the basic requirements of the agency. They must be United States citizens; they must be between the ages of 21 and 37; they must possess a valid driver’s license; and they must be in excellent physical health, which includes excellent vision and hearing.

Individuals must also either have at least one year of specialized experience in criminal investigation or law enforcement surveillance (equivalent to the GL-5 federal level) or a four-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. Those candidates who have not attained a 3.5 GPA in the courses related to their major and a 3.0 GPA in courses within the last two years of their bachelor’s program may meet the education requirements if they have completed at least one year of graduate study.

There are a wide number of degree options available for individuals seeking Secret Service careers in New Hampshire. Although many individuals interested in pursuing Secret Service agent jobs choose a degree in criminal justice, other programs that are directly related to this career choice include:

Public Safety

Homeland Security

Emergency Management

Forensic Psychology

Police Science

Candidates who meet the agency’s minimum requirements for employment are expected to pass a number of pre-employment assessments, which include:

The Treasury Enforcement Agent exam

A report writing test

A physical fitness exam

A background investigation

A polygraph examination

A drug screen

A series of structured interviews

Chosen candidates for New Hampshire Secret Service agent jobs are required to complete a two-phase course of training, which includes 10 weeks at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center and another 17 weeks of Special Agent Basic Training at the James J. Rowley Training Center.

The Secret Service at Work in New Hampshire’s Major Cities

Recent press releases from the New Jersey District of the U.S. Attorney’s Office reveal the work of the Secret Service throughout New Hampshire:

Secret Service Activities in Manchester – May 2013: A Romanian national pled guilty to participating in a scheme to steal credit card data from hundreds of retailer computers in New Hampshire. In addition to the work of the agents in the Secret Service’s Manchester field office, the Justice Department’s Criminal Division was involved in the investigation. The indictment found that the man conspired with a number of individuals to steal credit, debit and payment account numbers belonging to more than 100,000 U.S. cardholders. The New Hampshire State Police and Romanian authorities helped with the investigation.

Secret Service Activities in Portsmouth – April 2013: A former Portsmouth restaurant owner pled guilty to wire fraud in connection with fraudulently processing more than 1,400 unauthorized credit and debit card transactions. The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service in New Hampshire and the Portsmouth Police Department.

Secret Service Activities in Hooksett – September 2012: A Hooksett resident was convicted for his role in counterfeit currency possession. A Secret Service investigation found that the individual was in possession of more than $3,000. Also included in the investigation was the Derry Police Department.

Secret Service Activities in Concord – August 2011: Secret Service agents investigated a case of three men who were passing counterfeit checks at Concord area shops. It was discovered that the men were writing large checks during a shopping spree at more than six stores. Upon their arrest, authorities discovered equipment in their van that was used to produce counterfeit checks.